The present invention relates to a golf accessory and especially to a golf accessory having a divot tool with a golf club shaft cradle formed thereon along with a removable ball marker supported on the accessory.
In playing the game of golf, the golfer frequently needs various simple accessories for use on the golf course. The golfer, for instance, needs to be able to clean sod or other materials that have gotten between the cleats in the golfer's shoes and, in addition, to clean dirt that has accumulated in the grooves of a golf club. Materials can be cleaned from the shoes or golf clubs with a pocket knife or other instrument that the golfer may be carrying with him or the golfer may have to wait until he returns to the club house or home to clean the material from the golf club grooves or the shoes.
The golfer also frequently carries a divot tool and, in some cases, carries a golf ball marker. The golfer is allowed to lift the golf ball from the surface of a putting green for cleaning of the ball or to keep it from being a distraction or obstruction to other golfers. A lifted ball must, however, be marked to assure that when it is replaced it will be returned to the same spot from which it was lifted. Not only do the rules of golf permit such ball removal, it is the common practice and courtesy for the golfer to remove and mark the ball and replace it when it becomes his turn to putt. A ball marker must, however, be placed immediately behind the ball unless the mark is placed so that it would interfere with the play, stance or stroke of another golfer. It should then be placed one or more putter lengths to one side. As a result of this common practice, many golfers carry a ball marker in their pocket and some simply employ a coin for this purpose. A great variety of specialized ball markers have been suggested and used. A common ball marker being used is a disk about the size of a dime with a peg or prong extending axially from the planar surfaces of the disk shaped body. When using a ball marker of the usual type, a golfer laterally moves a marker to a position approximate and at least partially under the ball to insure that he does not violate the provisions of the rules relating to placing the marker immediately behind the ball. When in this position, a golfer then presses down on the ball marker to cause a peg to penetrate the surface of the putting green and thereby possibly locate the marker. This same basic marker locating technique is employed when a coin is used and, even though the coin does not have an axial peg, most golfers will press the coin down into the grass to make sure it is lying flat and that it will not be moved by the grass or present an obstruction should another golfer's ball pass over the marker when it is being putted. A golf ball marker can be seen in my prior U.S. Pat. No. 5,356,133 dated Oct. 18, 1994.
Frequently, a golfer will be in a position where he needs to put the club he is using down on the turf adjacent to where he is standing. This, however, is not a desired practice inasmuch as the club can get hidden in the grass or can get moisture and dirt on the shaft and handle of the club. The present invention provides a simple golf accessory which can be carried in the pocket of a golfer or in the golf bag and which provides a divot tool having a pair of prongs for insertion in the turf which has a golf club shaft cradle formed on the other end thereof so that when the prongs are pushed in the ground, the golf club can be laid such that the shaft of the club fits in the cradle protruding above the sod to keep the handle and shaft off of the turf. In addition, the accessory of the present invention supports a golf ball marker which is removably attached thereto behind a window where the marker is visible and where a design or logo may be placed for display through the window. Finally, the golf accessory, in accordance with the present invention, is shaped for marking the ball as well as for cleaning sod or dirt from the golfer's shoes between the cleats and for cleaning out dirt or other materials that may have gotten in the grooves on the face of the golf club and repairing a ball divot.